Water-cushioning tank-valve.



Patented Dec. I8, I900. F. S. MlLNE & T. W. SNOW. WATER GUSHIONING TANK VALVE.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1900.)

(No Model.)

1N: Ngams Firms (:0, PNoTaumo. \wsnmcrrou. 11cv UNITED STATES ATENT FFlCE.

FREDERICK S. MILNE AND THEODORE WILBUR SNOW, OF BATAVIA,

' ILLINOIS.

WATER-CUSHIONING TANK-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 663,918, dated December 18, 1 900.

' Application filed April 6l1900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK S. MILNE and THEODORE WILBUR SNOW, citizens of the United States, residing at Batavia, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Water-Cushioning Tank-Valve, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of water-tanks in which the head of water is sufficient to impede by reason of the water-pressure the easy operation of the valve, and more particularly relates to railroad watertanks.

The objects of our invention are, first, to

. so cushion the valve as to insure its easy operation and prevent wear and breakage, and, second, to prevent the formation of a vacuum in the outlet-pipe of the tank when the closing of the valve shuts off the outflow through the said pipe. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompany-l. ing drawings, in which--- Figure l. is a side view of our improved valve with valve-stem broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same with valve open for outflow of water, its closed position be ing indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 3, atop view of the valve.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghont the several views.

Located within and fastened with the bolts a a, to the bottom A of the tank, so as to reg ister with its outlet-opening B, to which is attached the outlet-pipe R, is the valve, con: sisting of the cylinder 0, provided with the ports a c. Vertically operating within the said cylinder is the valve-plunger D, the said plunger being provided with the packing d, which is held in place by the annular ring 01 and bolts 01. The plunger D is actuated by the hollow valve-stem E, passing through its center and fastened to it by the thread e, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower portion of the valvestem being provided with the ports e" e e". Fastened to the top of the cylinder 0 by the bolts ffis the combined cap and cushion cylinder F, provided with the portsf f f and the regulating-valve G of ordinary construction, the latter being regulated by the lever g. The said-'cap is also provided with the openings Serial No. 11,378. \No model.)

T T T. Vertically operating within the said cylinder F is the cushion-plunger H, the latter being provided with the Packing it, held in place by the annular ring h and bolts h h and the valves K K K, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The plunger 'H is actuated by the hollow valve-stem E, which passes through its center. and is fastened to it by the thread e.

Our water-cushioning tank-valve operates as follows: When the valve is open for the outflow of water, its parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the plungers H and D being raised by the valve-stem E and its operating mechanism. (Not shown in the drawings.) The water passes through the ports 0 c-ointo the valve-chamber within the cylinder 0 and thence downward through the outlet-opening B into the outlet pipe R. It also flows through the openings T T T, to be hereinafter more fully explained. The water also flows into the cushionchamber within the cylinder F through the ports f ff and valves K K K until the said chamber is full. When it is desired to shut ofi the flow of water through the outlet pipe R, the hollow valvestem E is depressed by its operating mechanism (not shown) until the parts assume the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the plunger D being seated in the plunger-seat S S, thereby shutting ofi the flow of water through the opening B and outlet-pipe R. While the parts are in the position first shown the full pressure of the water comes on the plunger D by reason of the openings T T T, its downward thrust being retarded by the cushion-plunger H acting on the water in the cushion-chamber of the cylinder F, said water being expelled through the ports f f f, which are successively closed as the plunger H passes them, thereby giving a graduated resistance to the descent of the plunger D until it is seated in the plungerseat S S and the valve is closed. Should a nicer adjustment of resistance be desired, the same maybe had through the use of the valve G and its regulating-lever g. When the valve is to be opened, the upward movement of the cushion-plunger H from its position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 would be prevented by the formation of a vacuum in the cushion-chamber of the cylinder F were it not for the valves K K K, which permit the flow of water through them during the upward movement of the said plunger. The valve-stem E being hollow and its upper end in communication with the air, the latter passes downward through the pipe-opening and the ports 6" e 6 into the outlet-pipe B, into which the stem E is thrust in its downward movement, so that a vacuum is prevented in the pipe R when the water is shut off and the valve closed.

We do not Wish to limit the application of the cushion-cylinder to the specific form of valve shown in the drawings, as it obviously may be applied to numbers of other'forms of valves where a graduated resistance is desired.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A water-cushioning tank-valve consisting ofacylinderO, provided with ports 0 c, c, and a cylinder F, provided with ports f f f, and a valve-stem E, carrying plungers D, and H, to operate within the chambers O, and F, respectively, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a Water-cushioning tank-valve, the cylinder C, provided with the ports 0, c, c, in combination with the cylinder F, provided with the ports f f f and, the hollow valvestemE, carrying the plungers D, and H, substantially as described.

, 3. In a Water-cushioning tank-valve, the cylinder 0, provided with the ports 0, c, c, in combination with the cylinder F, provided with the ports f f f and the valve-stem E, carrying the plungers D, and H, the latter being supplied with the valves K, K, K, substantially as described.

4. In a water-cushioning tank-valve, the cylinder 0, provided with the ports 0, c, c, in combination with the cylinder F, provided with the ports f f f and valve G, and the valve-stem E, carrying the plungers D, and H, substantially as described.

5. In a water-cushioning tank-valve, the cylinder C, provided with the ports c, c, c, and openings T, T, T, in combination with the cylinder F, provided with the ports f f f and valve G, and the hollow valve-stem E, provided with the ports 6 e" e and carrying the plungers D, and H, the latter being supplied with the valves K, K, K, substantially as described. V

6. In a water-cushioning tank-valve, the cushion-cylinder F, provided Withports and the plunger H, provided with a valve K, both operating within said cylinder by means of a valve-stem E, substantially as described.

7. In a water-cushioning tank-valve, in combination with a valve, the cushion-cylinder F, provided with, ports, and the plunger H, provided with one or more valves and operating within said cylinder by means of a valve-stem E, substantially as described.

FREDERICK S. MILNE. THEODORE WILBUR SNOW. Witnesses:

W. A. WoLooTT, JOHN GEIss. 

